Folios 500-501: John Draper, the Royal, Portsmouth Harbour. Acknowledges the Admiralty...

Folios 500-501: John Draper, the Royal, Portsmouth Harbour. Acknowledges the Admiralty letter enclosing two further letters, one of them from several of the Midshipmen from his former ship, HMS Porcupine, in which they complain of being reprimanded and disrated because of the letter they wrote to Captain Draper on 19 August asking for permission to look for other ships. That letter was in direct contempt of Lieutenant James John Duffy and in contravention of his own orders that any complaints should be brought to him on the Quarterdeck or privately in his cabin. Several of the young men had been complained of by the ship's officers, particularly Mr Haywood, who has told Captain Draper that he expects to be promoted to Lieutenant of Marines. Does not think Mr Haywood deserves this promotion.